Turkish President Erdogan Addresses Joint Session of Parliament

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a joint session of Parliament in Islamabad on Friday for a record fourth time, during which he reiterated his support for Pakistan and its stance on Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The Turkish leader said at the start of his speech that “I thank God for giving me this opportunity. I am thankful to each of you individually for allowing me to address this joint session of Parliament.”

Addressing the session, the Turkish president said “I am thankful to all of you for the way in which the people of Pakistan have welcomed us. I have never felt like a stranger in Pakistan; it has always been like home.”

Erdogan said, “Relations between Pakistan-Turkey are admirable for others, Pakistan has always supported Turkey during difficult times and we can never forget this.”

“Events that happened in Çanakkale in Turkey a hundred years ago are being repeated in Indian occupied Kashmir and Turkey will continue to raise its voice on the oppression. We can never forget the support of the Muslims of the subcontinent during those times.”

Quoting a poem by poet Allama Iqbal, Erdogan said: “Yes, like the poet of Lahore( Allama Iqbal), people were drowning in these emotions; people of Pakistan have always stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Turkey.”

Today, the issue of Kashmir is as close to us as it is to Pakistanis, “How can we forget those [Pakistanis] who prayed for Turkey? Our friendship is based on love and not vested interests. Like in the past, we will continue to support Pakistan in the future,”

“Pakistan is on the way to peace and stability; peace and stability don’t come in a few days, it requires work.

“We applaud Pakistan’s efforts to rid this region from terrorism. The country has been affected by religious fanaticism. He declared that Pakistan and Turkey are the countries that have been most affected by terrorism due to their geographic location, we will continue to cooperate with Pakistan on counter-terrorism.”

‘Deal of the Century’

During his address, the Turkish leader talks about the ‘deal of the century’ by US President Donald Trump. He said “No distance can build a wall between the hearts of believers. If there is torture against any believers in the world, it is our duty to help them.”

Erdogan said, “No one can break the bond of Muslim brotherhood in any way. Everyone should stand with one another. The agreement of the century is not a peace project but in fact a project for occupation.”

“Turkey has played a leading role in Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine. We have been on the front lines of the battle to liberate innocent Muslims across the region.”

We Stand with Kashmiris

Our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have suffered from inconveniences for decades. The Kashmir issue can be resolved not through conflict but through justice and fairness. Such a solution will be in the interest of all parties.

“On this occasion, I would like to emphasize that we appreciate Pakistan’s positive contributions to the peace process in Afghanistan.”

Ending of Speach

He said, “I have come with a delegation of Turkish businessmen. After the Friday prayers, we will be having business discussions with Pakistani counterparts.”

The Turkish president ended his speech by reciting a few verses of the Pakistani national anthem and prayers for both countries and the Muslim ummah.

The session was started with a recitation of the Holy Quran followed by an introductory address by Speaker Asad Qaiser, who said ”It is an honor for me to be able to welcome the Turkish president, a true friend to Pakistan, and one of the most influential Muslim leaders in the world. Pakistan and Turkey have strong historical and emotional ties,” said the speaker.